Electric-sign system.



IVI.'E. I AUIIIBRANCH.

ELECTRIC snsN SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. ZZI I9I6. I

Patemed Aug. 2L ISI?.

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IVI. E. LAUNBRANCH.

ELI-:mmc sxGNksYsTEM. APPLICTION FILED IAN. 22,1916.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

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VI. E. LAUNBRANCH.

ELECTRIC SIGN SYSTEM.

APPucATmN FILED MN.22,1916.

Paeuted Aug. 21, 1917.

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MALCLM E. LAUNBRANCI-I, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO PEERLESS ELECTRIC I SIGN COMPANY, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC-SIGN SYSTEM.'

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MALCOLM E. LAUN- BRANoI-I, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Chicago, in 'the county of Cook vand State olil Illinois, have invented a certain new and* useful Improvement in 'Electric-Sign Systems, of which the following is a full,'clear, concise, and exact description, reference-being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speci.'

. cation.

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My invention relates to changeable electric signs, or what might be called writing signs, Aand has for its object the provision of an improved system of operating and con-r -units as above outlined, preferably in four' rows of fteen each, and each unit has iiftythree incandescent lamps. By a proper selection of the lamps in each unit any letter or predetermined signal or character may be established in any given unit. There being sixty of these units, it is readily apparent that a complete sentence may be written out.

In the'particular form under discussion the,

sign is used :tor advertising purposes, the legend appearing- 'upon the sign being changed every twenty seconds. It thus requircs controlling apparatus of peculiar characterv to eiiect a rapid succession of different legends, and my \invention herein concerns itself with the production of said controlling apy'mratus.v A

I have so arranged the controlling apparatus that a plurality of electromagnetic devices for each unit, one for each letter or character, are suitably operated through the agency of a templet or prepared plate or tape in such a manner that changes of the legend presented to view'by the sign may be rapidly and instantaneously made by one operator.

I will explain one form. ci carrying ont Specication of Letters Patent. Paten-@Qd Aug 21 191% Application led January 22, 1916.

Serial No. 73,594.

my invention by referring to the accompanylng drawings, in whichvFigure l is a fragmentary front View of a sign adapted -to be controlled through the agency ofthe apparatus of my invention;

Fig. 2 1s a diagrammatic view llustrating the electrical and mechanical principles -involved Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the Contact controlling devices.

Referring more particularly to Fig. l, I show a sign ,which has a plurality of units, 1,2, 3, 4, in four different rows, thereibeing thirteen units in each row. Each unit 1, for instance, has iifty-three incandescent lamps so that any letter, character, or ar-l bitrary symbol may be set out in that particular unit. The same is true Lof any of the otherI units. My improved apparatus is designed to cont-rol the lamps in these various units so that different legends may appear upon this sign successively.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 2, I have shown diagrammatically the equipment necessary to control the sign, although I do not show all of the equipment, showingmerely a sulcient portion thereof to indicate all of the principles involved, omitting the merely duplicatory matter.

I might say in passing that with the ar rangement of the lamps in each unit, I may obtain at least forty diii'erent letters or characters in each unit.

I have shown in Fig. 2 a portion of the units of the sign shown in Fig. l, respectively the units l, 2, 3 and fl, and l, 2, 3a and 4a. I show a portion of the Iequipment necessary to operate the units l, 2, 3 and 4, the equipment to operate the balance of the iifty two units being entirely similar and a duplication of what is here shown in F 2. A key board having divisions corresponding respectively to the first four units l, 2, 3 and 4 of the sign, respectively the divisions 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d. The key board 5 is of course then extended sidewiseso as to provide divisions for each one'oi' the remaining units l, etc., although herein merely a. sectional View of vthis key board is shown. Each division has switch plungers,

for instance, the switch plunger-s 6a, 7, 8a,

of bus hars, one for each lamp, and a plurality of rotatable switching rods one for each electromagnetic means, said switching rods being controlled by said electromagnetic means to control the energization of said lamps, a` switchboard for controlling the selection of electromagnetic means aforesaid, and a templet for controlling the actuations of said switchboard.

3. In a device of the character described the combination with a plurality of lamps adapted when selectively actuated to portray unlike characters, a switching device having means forv selectively controlling said lamps, and a plurality of electromagnetic means for selectively controlling said switching device, said switching device comprising a plurality of bus hars, one'for each lamp, and a plurality of rotatable switching rods one for each electromagnetic means, said switching rods being controlled by said electromagnetic means, said switching rods having contact lingers selectively disposed so that each contact rod corresponds to a diii'erent character, a switchboard for controllingr the selection of electromagnetic means aforesaid, and a templet for controlling the actuations of said switchboard.

4. In a device of the character described the combination with a plurality of sign units each having a plurality of lamps adapted when selectively actuated to portray unlike characters, a key board having a number of divisions corresponding to the number of units, ,and a tcmplet having means for simultaneously selectively con trolling said key board divisions, each division o f said key board having a plurality of contact elements corresponding to the number of lamps in the corresponding sign unit.

5. In a device of the character. described the combination with a plurality of sign units each having a plurality of lamps adapted when selectively actuated to portray unlike characters, a key board having a number of divisions corresponding to the number of units, and a templet having means for selectively controlling said key board divi.

sions, each division oi" said key board having a plurality of control elements corresponding to the number of lamps in the corresponding sign units.

In witness-whereof, I hereuntosubscribe my nameI this 17th day of January, A. D., 1916.

MALCOLM LAUNBRANCH.

Vitnesses:

f HAZEL A. JONES, O. M. WnRMron. 

